Dry-pipe-valve accelerator



Patented oel. 125,7 1927."

, l Y e "1,646,618, f i UNITEDSTATES QEF'ICET;

'y vLEROY M. LEWIS, or' nnnmonnrnnnsLva in. if

nRY-PrrllvALvE accELEnAfron. y, 'l'

Application aledapril 23, 1925. serial 1\.T .-25`, .187f, fr,

Devices, knownas accelerators, for speed-j` up theopening of Vdry'pipevalves in automatic sprinkler systems y,aree frequently i employed and the principal object Y`of my in.

vention is to provide an` improved`-device for that purpose which .is sensitive inV opera. tion so as tofunctionpromptly and posi-.p

tively on a., sudden reduction inthe pressure -in the Vairl line ofv the system; which which is. self` setting. or, `in other. words, so

cally return to normal position.

Myinvention `further 1 contemplates gen? veral.improvements in the design, arrangement and construction of accelerators for use in connectionwith the dry pipe valves of automat-ic sprinkler systems, aswell as' Vari- Aou's other objects and advantages tofwhich A l y tl'ectedA downward fOm'its normal horil zenal pQSt0n,:,the Valve/...filialllfwllbf. l movedv from' z-its; 'seatlv to r.esta blish free 3 comy reference may hereinafterbe madeor which will be apparent from the following dev I scription ofapret'erred embodimentot the` invention as illustrated `in the accompany# f In the said with certain portions thereof shown in ,ele-- vation and the parts in normal position land Fig. 2 1s avertlcal section on. llne 2 2 lnv Fig. l looking in the direction of the farrows` but on asomewhat smaller scale.,y The same. symbols are used to designate thesame parts 0 v l y pression `spring` 1( is disposed vpla'telO and the valve support 12.1`

in both figures.

As shown, the device comprises afbodylL preferably of cast metal, having a removable,` cover 2 and arranged to provide a valvej @chamber in its lower part anda lnain'dia- 'phragm chamber X, nret'erablyfof greaterv diameter than the valve chamber,y in gits upper part,'said chambersbeing disposedqf *more or less coaxially. The diaphragm chamber may be considered ascomprising `a .lower chamber' 3 iny the-body .properiand'` an upper chamber 3', the latter being gform'ed z y l y i v l i bers. 22,;'22-lby a normally horizontally eX- in thecover 'whi ch is,.for that purpose, .con-'p cave onv its lower side. movably secured to the body by bolts 5 passing through, flanges with which the parts .are provided, andis also provided with a laterally extending boss 2 through which is* extended a passage 6 which opens into the drawing Fig., l is a longitudi-f f nal vertical section through the acceleratorv The' cover is re..

lamberlfffand lhefffueeljefi er wtlelniegq j ,hereinafter lOlfG Plj'rularly described. i

The valve chamber is divided 'ifltdupper 'n y l V60.5@y j 'wisely-extendingWeb 8 Whlchllas anLQpen-kf 111g at its Center nwhfh isfdsposedareeq 1 and lower chambersd landetby altransmovablevalveseat VSfthe.lower,tace of.l which f extends' into]thechamber.,.tf.r4 The 'lower .open end `of this chamber is closed by a .re-

erative affvalvedisk4 or l1, prefere: ablypof,relatlvelysofftrubber orsimilar maf is aflexible diaphragmlf extending 'across the mainy chamber,- the "edges, ,of f the da.: 4'phragln being clamped4 betweerfl thel'lpper facejof thefbodyl andthe Flower' "facelofthe, e

'Lmmunication' between the 'chambers r4e and 4.

Under operativefconditions the chamber:Alll ls connected. bya'pip'e with the` air-.line off lele-eer 'while illecehamber i4 ie, ordinarily ing'the valve ring 1 1`` toward itsseat atoom- @Wee-e L. the

integral wit-hfthe Imain part of ythe body,v

providing an auxiliary diaphragm chamber Preferably having. 'an upwardly Conversingwall` frminvatingililfa neck 20 Thev sure. of from25' to l'bsgjis 'ordinarily mainlou y.

lower open-fend .ofthis portion y20;'isy closed;

inthe assembled device,;by'fv afclover'Ql concave l.on itsfinnerfafthe,chamber'Ythus formed beleg j divided, alte :upper and; le'werf ehem-V tending diaphragiii?) @whose edgesy 'are y' by belts 24.*

This lelerallyeaeer pelaen 2o ofthe eddy iskconnected to thelower part" cfu 4e latter.

Imovableplate.. :10. .'llhegvalveseat 9iscoopl e mi'.` f The body is' also provided wana laterally Y .Osetlfportion- 20a-:either Separate" romf or' Y 6o is, when the ordinaryair'pressure of v25 to by aneck through ywhich is extended a passage -24 which permits free communication between the chambers 4 and 22 and from which a branch passage 25 is extended downward into a horizontally disposed bore 26` formed in a lug or onset 21 integral with the cover 21. It the diaphragm 23 is arranged to extend across the passage 25 as k1shown, istk will `of course be suitably aperloftture'd'in alignment ,with the passage'so .as

V "freecom'munication through the`A 'Y I *side of valve support 12 assisted by the to permit i lauertk V"The bore 26. is preferably'arranged to vvextend from .the chamber 22 to the outer end offthe lug 21",fandj between the chamber and the fjunctionf the passage 2'5`and the bore, "a bushing27j is' screwed or otherwise seated in the latter,`this bushing being prol vided with aminute orifice 28 affording communication through the bushing Vfrom 'tithe bore.,y 26 tothe chamben To prevent "clogging ofthe oriiice by particles of dust or dirt a cylindrical 'screen 29 of fine wire gauzeor othersuitable material is disposed inithe bore, 'the `inner end of the screen being arranged to seat over the reduced outer endjoffth'e bushing and the outer endovf the screen being soldered lor otherwise secured m a plug 30 which is threaded into the en# larged outer end ot the'bore.y Thus by `re- !"e'movin'glthe lplug and screen as a unit,"the Vrscreen 'cancbe 'readily cleaned when desired.

`disposed a preferably conical .valve 32,

` ,Uplonbthe .diaphragm 23 for movement' therewith is `suitably mounted fan upwardly fwhi'ch vmay "be 'formed'of rubber or other suitable ,materiah arranged rto cooperate ,with Va suitablel seat 33 disposed in the neck' l2O". The neck is provided with alhorizon- (tall.'flange` at itsupper end and between this .'tlange and thefend of the boss 2 .of the `cover 2and securely bolted in position, is

Al rthus 'connecting the chamber 3" .above the i disposed anlelbow 35 having a passage 6 diaphragm 16 with the Vrchamber 22 above `diaphragm 23, the valve 32 being effective sof therebetween in accordance withr its posito interrupt or Aestablish communication *[tionjj For continually urging the valve 32 Qtoward its seat `a relatively light compres- .sion vspring 36 is'disposed above the valve i andfpartiallywithin the enlargedy lower end v.ofthe passage 6".

i [Thef perat'ony*ofV the accelerator when connected inv anvra'utomatic Vsprinkler system 4 vlby' the ,pipes-13,513 as heretofore described is as follows: Under normal" coii.ditions,'thatl I are connected, the several parts of the acceleratorare maintained substantially in the equalized and substantially similar to that in the air line with which the chamber 4 isconnected, the equalization between chainbers 4 and 22 taking place through passage 24 and between these two chambers and 22- through the restricted oriiice 23.r vThe diaphragm 23 being thus subjected to equal pressure on both sides will assume a substantially horizontal position thus closing valve 32, while the pressure on the under rby a port 38 through the' wall of the body,

and the latter by a vent 39 preferably of" relatively small diameter ,extending through.k

the wall of the covei '2; additionally, since the intermediate chamber yot the .dry valve is at atmospheric pressure and is'connectedl by pipe P with the chamber 4, the latter is also at atmospheric pressure,

Upon a material and sudden tall inthe pressure in the air line due to the opening otone'of the sprinkler headsor'other cause, a corresponding fall occurs in chambers 4 and 22 by reason of the connection ot the former with the air line andthe free communication between the two chambers aiilorded by the relatively large passage 24. This sudden lessening oi the pressure against the upper side of the diaphragm 23 in conjunction with i the relatively high pressure which. still obtains in chamber 22" by reason-of the retardation ot the escape-through oi'ifice28 ot' the ,high pressure air trapped in said chamber,

pressure in chambers 4, 22 and 22 is causes the diaphragm to move upwardy from its normal position'thus opening valve' 32 against the action of spring 36 and permitting the escape ot air through passages 6, 6 to chamber 3 at a pressure substantially corresponding to that vwithin chamber 22, which`r while lower than the normal pressure in the air line, is still considerably in excess oi the vatmospheric pressure vin chamber 3. vThisl escaping and relatively high pressure air causes a downward movement Yor deflection` of diaphragm 16 with resultant opening of the-valve controlling the passage through web SthusY placing chamber4 in communication with chamber 4 so that the air troni :the air linev can exhaust through the latter and thence through pipe P to the intermediate chamber of the dry valvetrom which it escapes to the atmosphere. The rapid cxhaustion of the air in the pipe line which is thus eiected materially enhances the rapidity of opening of the dry valve following the opening of a sprinkler head,with corrc- `sponding increase in the rapidity with which position" shown in' the drawing since the-fthe water is permitted to enter the airline i' and reach the heads, the relatively highpres-l Vvsure airwhich is discharged into theaterymediate chamber of thefdry valve probablyalso assisting to some :extent in thefopening inthe chamber 22 is in excess of that m22 movement of the air clapper therein.V

Itwill be apparent that so long as pressure in'an amountsuiiicient tohold valve 32 open against spring 36, the diaphragm 16 will be.

l-eXed downward from normalposition and the valve controlling ,thel passage between chambers t and 4 held open 'since by reason f of the fact that the Varea of the diaphragm ,Y 16, is very much greater than the area of the latter valvea relatively vlig'ht pressure on the diaphragm will keep-the valve fopen against thevurge offspring 17 supplemented by any "excess pressure in chamber 4 acting in a direction to close the valve. .Ofcourse so long as the'valve32 is open the pressures in cham bers 3 and 22are'substantially equal as sardi chambers are mi communication with each otlieij'but by'reason of friction'in the passages or from other causes aw-'slight differential mayyexist in the pressures in the two.v

chambers even under these conditions.-v

. Y vIt will be further apparent that vthe pressures above andbelow thediaphragm 23 will 1- slowlyequalize -through orifice 28 and as this condition isreached spring 36 becomes effec-` tive to return valve 32 toits seat and `diaphragm 23 to normal position;l correspondingly, diaphragm ,16 willgradually assume. normalV position with consequent closing of' the valve which it'control's, spring .17;assi'sting in this action. vThusafter thev accelera--v l tor lhas functioned the parts are .graduallyf` vreturned to normal position autoi'natic'ally.v

Thesmall vent39 from chamber' is previded with a view. to preventing the trapping of any high pressure air in the chamberand passages 6, 6,when the parts returnv to normalposition and which, in the absence of-some;V such means, might otherwiseoccur; the pres-1 ence of the vent thereby assures the maintenance of similar pressures aboveA aiidrbclow the diaphragm except during .the functioning of the accelerator during which butlittle -of the high pressure air escapes through the vent owing to the small size of the latter.

It sometimes happens that variations in pressure gradually occurin the air line of a sprinkler system by reason ofthe action of the air compressor, slow yleaks or the like.`

la. Such variations, however, are not effective. `to cause theV accelerator to function in the manner hitherto described, since upon-the l sage oli-sufficient air forthis purpose but not of suflicient size to; effectV such equalization.y with sufficient rapidity to prevent the func-fV tioningx of the accelerator upon the occur- 'foccurrence thereof a corresponding equalization of pressure takes place between chainbers 22 and 22 throughthe orifice 28 which is of suitable size to slowly permit lthe pasdefinedin the appendedclaims.v

' Havingu thus `described my invention I' -other side of the diaphragm.'`

i 3. Anaccelerator as specified in claim l,

rence of a material and sudden drop ofpresusure. in the air hnefdue tothe opening of a sprinkler head. I

While `I have herein. illustrated and/de- :scribed with considerable part-icularity a pre-r.

feired embodiment of my invention in alform 4adapted forV convenient installation in commercial sprinkler systems,l do nctthereby desire ,or intend to specifically limit myself` to any .precise details ofvdesign, construct10n-- or arrangement ofthe various elements "of the 'device as changes and inodificationsmay be made therein if desired without departing from thel spirit and scope of the invention claim and desire to, protects-by Letters Patent of the V,United States: f v v l. An accelerator comprising a bodyhaving separated diaphragm Chambers, a pvalve chamberhaving an inl-et,a passage. establishiiig communication between "the, diaphragm chambers, a valve controlling the flow of liuid from the inlet side of said valve chamber vto anotherpart thereof and opera.;y

tively connected with a diaphragm 'in one ofthe diaphragm chambersya vvalve co-ntrolling theV passage? between the diaphragm chambers and operatively connected with the diaphragm' in thefother diaphragm cham-` ber and means establishing communication c phragm therein.

sideof the diaphragm Aand anotheiyand rei of the diaphragm chamber :lying on vthe kstrictedl passage affording communication between thevalve chamber and that portionv miA in whichsaid means comprise a passage disposed to afford free communication-between.

the valve chamber and thatrportion ofthe diaphragm chamber lying on the side ofthe diaphragm ymost nearly adjacent the valve controlling the passage betweenthe two diaphragm chambers and a passage having a restricted orice disposed toafford restricted communication between thevalve cham-Av ber and that portion of the said diaphragm chamber lying on the opposite sidezof the i diaphragm, and remote fromesaid valve.

An accelerator comprising a body hav- 'ing a valve chamber dividedvby an apertured weba main diaphragm'ycha-mber disposed above the valve chamber andan auX- yiliary diaphragm chamber,`said diaphragm chambers being connected by a paisage, ya valvecontrolllng the flow offluid through -said web. andco-nnected toa diaphragm in l the main diaphragm. chamber, a valve conpart of the auxiliary chamber lyingabovclthe diaphragm with that part of the valve trolling said passage and connected toa diaf lphragm in the auxiliary chamber, a passage affording free communication between that chamber lying below they valve therein and lanother passage'afiording restricted coma in.

'5h-in accelerator as specified in claim 4:

m'unication between thesame portion-of the valve chamber yand that part of the auxiliary y chamber lying below the diaphragm therein which the valve in the valve chamber is arranged to be opened by a downward movement of the diaphragm in the main diaphragm chamber and the valve conti'o-lling the passage. connecting the diaphragm chambers is arranged to be opened by an upward movement of the diaphragm in thel 1 auxiliary diaphragm chamber.

6. An accelerator as specified in claim t in which the valve in the valve chamber is lower portions by anA apertured web, a main diaphragm chamber disposed above the valve chamber and vented .to the external atmosphere and an Aauxiliary ldiaphragm chamber laterally oil'set with respect thereto,y a valve controlling communication from the lower part of the valve chamberto the upper partV thereof, a diaphragm inthe main diaphragm chamber adapted to operate said valve, a pass sage extending from above said diaphragm to the upper part of the auxiliary chamber,

a diaphragm extending across said auxiliaryV chamber, a valve operatively connected to said diaphragm and controlling said passage, means tending to maintain said valve closed, a passage extending from the lower part ofthe valve chamber to the upper part of the auxiliary chamber above the diaphragmtherein and aif'ording free commu-y nication therebetween, another passage affording restricted communication between the valve chamber and the lower part-of theL auxiliary chamber beneath the diaphragm therein, means for establishing communicationbetweenthe lower part of the valve chamb'erand the air line of a dry pipe sprinkler system, and means for establishing communication between the upperY part of 4said valve chamber and the intermediate chamber ofthe dry valve, wherebyl under normal conditions a substantially balanced i pressure is maintained lon both .sides of 'the Adiaphragm inthe auxiliary chamber butV on a `reduction of Vpressure in thelower part-of the valve chamber thev diaphragm in the auxiliary chamber is flexed to open the valveV with which it is operatively connected thereby establishing communication between the two diaphragm chambers and creating an unbalanced pressure Aon opposite sides of the other diaphragm to open the-valve in they valve chamber. f

8. in accelerator as specified inr vclaim 7 and embodying means tending to urge .the valve in the valve chamber against its seat and maintain it inclosed position.

9. Anacceleratoras specified in claim 7 in which the effective area of the diaphragm in the main diaphragm chamber is in excess of the effective area of the valve yin lthe valve chamber whereby a Agiven pressure acting against the diaphragm is operative vto open the valve against. a relatively higher pressure yacting ,against the valvef in vthe opposite direction. i

lO. An' accelerator' comprisingga body having a plurality of chambers anda-'valvev chamber having an inlet, means establishing communication between the firstlmentioned chambers, a valve' operative to "control communication from `the inlet side of the valve chamber 'to yanother part thereof, a movable lelement disposed in each of said first mentioned chambers, meansconnecting theA valve with one ofsai'd elements, passages respectively extending froml the inlet side of 'the valve chamber-to points onopposite sidesl of the movable element in the other of said first mentioned chambers and a valve operable in conformity with the movement of the other movableelement and Vcommunication between the inlet side of the valve chamber and the auxiliary chamber 'upon opposite sides of the diaphragm therein and means operable -in conformity with the movements of said diaphragm to'control communication' between the diaphragm chambers. v f y i -v In witness whereof,'-I havehereuntoset my hand this 22nd day of April, 1925.

. v LEROY M. LEWIS.

diaphragm 

